Fenrir
by StunningGhost
Summary: Denzel hits a rebellious phase and it's up to Cloud to save the day, literally. A one-shot about Cloud and Denzel.


Hey guys! So i wrote this one a couple of years ago and just never uploaded it. It's my first Final Fantasy story so please go easy on me. I absolutely love FFVII and FFVII Advent Children. This story is something I thought about between Cloud and Denzel's relationship. I hope you all like it! Just figured i'd share it with yall. Sorry if there are any typos!

Enjoy~ =)

"Talking"

'thinking'

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything...or else there would be like 10 more of these movies and games!

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Denzel furiously ran up the stairs, stomped into his room, and slammed the door shut. He locked the door behind him even though it was a shared room with his friend Marlene. He plopped onto his bed frustrated and hit the mattress.

'_I'm sick of everyone treating me like a kid! I don't need to go to school! Tifa and Cloud are just my guardians, they don't have any real authority over me. Plus Cloud isn't even here half the time!' _Denzel thought angrily as he stared at the ceiling.

"Just, you all wait. As soon as I get the chance I'll leave. I know you all would like that…" he muttered sulkily to himself.

Denzel's ears perked as he heard Cloud's motorcycle pull up. He wanted to smile but his previous anger refused to allow him too.

'_This is his fault too.'_ He reminded himself as he watched Cloud park and walk inside. He soon heard voices from inside and he sighed. However something glittering caught his attention. Cloud's keys were in the ignition, his golden chocobo keychain reflecting the sunlight as it swung in the breeze.

"Perfect." He said to himself smirking.

Tifa rubbed her eyes with one hand showing her irritation. She hadn't fully yelled at Denzel, but she had sternly scolded him and sent him to his room. She placed both gloved hands on the edge of the counter and glanced at the floor letting out a deep breath. Her head glanced up quickly when she heard the entrance to the bar open. Tifa straightened up quickly in case it was a customer, even though it was still a little early for anyone to be there. To her surprise she was greeted with blonde spikes and a giant buster sword.

"Cloud?" She asked and he turned around after shutting the door.

"Tifa." He said nodding at her before relaxing slightly, his muscles having gone rigid at her voice from behind.

"What are you doing home early?" She asked but couldn't help the smile that crept across her face.

"I ran into some monsters and one managed to get a decent attack on Fenrir. It's been glitching so I'm switching to the spare bike till later." He explains quietly while sitting on one of the barstools catching his breath. Tifa thought he did look a little roughed up. She came out of her thoughts to see him staring stoically at her.

"What is it?" She asked slightly self-conscious.

"You're frustrated." He states and then pulls into himself slightly trying to figure out what he has done to upset her.

"It's not you Cloud. Denzel and I had an argument." She says huffing slightly.

Cloud just looks at her with a slightly confused look on his face. Usually she would smile at the innocent look but today had been too stressful. She sees that he is waiting for her to continue so she begins again.

"I received a letter from the disciplinarian at Denzel's school. Apparently he started a fight today. Also I was informed that this isn't the first time it's happened." She told him while wiping down the counter. "I'm afraid he's about to go through a rebellious stage."

"Do you want me to talk to him?" Cloud asked raising a blonde eyebrow.

"Would you? I think it would help him." She said moving to take the chairs off the tables.

"Sure. Just let me drop Fenrir off at the mechanics and finish my route. I'll talk to him when I get back." He said nodding at her and helped set up the rest of the chairs.

As they reached the last table and chairs, the two adults suddenly heard Fenrir come to life. They exchanged quick glances with each other before sprinting for the front door. Cloud threw it open and had his sword in hand ready to stop whoever was trying to steal his motorcycle. However he lowered his sword and stood in slight shock as he saw Denzel sitting on Fenrir. The boy hit the accelerator and the bike jerked forward before he applied the brakes harshly, not use to how sensitive they were. As soon as Fenrir had jolted Cloud was brought out of his shock.

"Denzel!" Cloud shouted and began sprinting towards the bike while placing his sword on his back.

Panicked at being caught, Denzel floored the accelerator again and shot off down the street. Adrenaline rushed through Denzel and it was the only thing that allowed him to turn at the correct times and not crash into any buildings. He had never driven a motorcycle before, and he has only ridden with Cloud a few times. His initial panic was fading away and it was being replaced with exhilaration. The feeling was thrilling, the wind roughly flowing through his hair, the feeling of freedom as he raced through the slums. Nothing could stop this feeling. The twelve year old continued his fast paced trek.

Cloud cursed as he watched Denzel take off. He heard Tifa shout the boy's name from his side in a desperate voice with a hint of panic seeping into her tone. Cloud reacted quickly and ran to the large garage off to the side of the bar. He uncovered his old spare motorcycle and ignored the dust that filled his nose. He grabbed the spare key from the nearby shelf and started the bike up. Without a second thought he sped out of the garage and took off after the brown haired boy. He figured Denzel would head for the open land outside of Midgar. Cloud made a sharp turn down a narrow street. Fenrir might have been the faster bike but Cloud knew every shortcut out of the city. And luckily Denzel didn't know how to activate the overdrive which would almost double the speed that Denzel was currently going at.

Cloud berated himself for leaving his keys in the ignition. He had become too comfortable with his surroundings and wasn't careful enough. Now Denzel was speeding on a vehicle he had never driven before and said vehicle had been malfunctioning. The blonde mercenary just hoped that he would reach Denzel in time before something horrible happened. Cloud would never be able to forgive himself if he lost Denzel to his own carelessness.

Denzel flew over the terrain like a bird soaring through the sky. He had left the city and all that was around him now was dusty deserted land with a few cliffs and boulders. Vaguely he remembered that this was where Cloud had first met Kadaj and his brothers. He was enjoying the scenery when he caught the sound of a low hum. It was slowly getting louder and Denzel searched around for the source of noise. He spared a glance over his shoulder and the boys blue eyes widened with slight fear as he saw another motorcycle gaining on him, the familiar blonde spikes identifying the driver. The boy, scared of getting caught and in trouble faced forward again. Terror struck him and realized he had much bigger problems than Cloud at the moment. He was heading right for a cliff a little more than a mile in front of him and he was approaching it fast.

There was no way Denzel was skilled enough to go over the edge and land the bike safely on the ground 1000 feet below. Even if he managed to keep the bike level and did hit the ground, he wasn't strong enough like Cloud to hold on. The impact would send him flying into the air and off the bike at a horrible speed. The brown haired boy quickly began to turn away from the edge but for some reason the controls had jammed. Fenrir barely even twitched to the side. Renewed panic made Denzel slam on the brakes only to make the nightmare worse. The brakes were failing for some reason. The bike would only slowdown for a little bit before resuming his previous speed. Denzel couldn't just shut Fenrir off because the sudden loss of power would surely send Denzel flying off at a break neck speed.

Cloud watched Denzel and Fenrir advance closer to the edge. He saw the boy jerk the handles but nothing happened. With his enhanced vision he could see Denzel desperately clutch the brakes. With a sick feeling in his stomach Cloud realized that Fenrir was choosing now of the entire ride to completely malfunction. Cloud punched the accelerator of his own bike to the fullest before coming up with a plan. He was really close to Denzel now but the edge was rapidly coming. Cloud activated the overdrive on his own motorcycle and the bike shot forward. Quickly Cloud steered away from the path he was on and towards the side. He then began arching his bike back around. With the overdrive activated his bike was beating Denzel's to the drop off. At the last second Cloud veered at a 90 degree turn and ran parallel to the cliff. Right as it seemed Denzel would shoot off the cliff, Cloud's bike collided into the side of Fenrir. The collision was at the perfect angle so that it immediately changed the direction Denzel was going. The collision was not hard enough to immediately throw Denzel off, who had a death grip on the handlebars, but Fenrir started to fall onto its side. Cloud reached across and grabbed onto one of the bars and used his enhanced strength to pull Fenrir back upright and to a stable position before he let go.

Both vehicles were now running side by side along the ridge with Cloud's motorcycle being a mere three feet from the edge. Cloud flipped off the overdrive on his own but stayed matched with Denzel's current speed. Denzel was still holding onto the handles with a death grip. The poor boy was still in shock with the fact that he could have possibly died. His eyes were the size of saucers and looked absolutely petrified. Cloud reached across and tried to apply the brakes but they were still failing. Cloud glanced at Denzel but the boy's terrified stare seemed to still be fastened forward.

"Denzel!" Cloud shouted his name but received no response.

"DENZEL!" He barked this time with a commanding voice that he had heard one of his superiors use during his SOLDIER training. His voice was loud, strict and demanded immediate attention to whoever it was directed at. It sounded very non-Cloud-like, a little bit of Zack slipping out, but Cloud didn't give a damn at the moment. The effect was immediate and Denzel turned his attention directly at Cloud.

"Denzel I'm going to lift you onto my bike but I need you to let go of the handles when I do alright?" Cloud said still with a stern voice, ordering the child to do as he was told.

However Denzel was too frightened and he shook his head vigorously. "I-I can't do-o it-t!" He stuttered out.

"Yes you can Denzel. The bike will still stay upright for a little while when you let go. You will be fine." Cloud tried to sooth his charge.

"NO! I can't! It won't work! Plus you'll just bring me back to get yelled at!" Denzel yelled back stubbornly.

Cloud rolled his eyes. He was starting to get fed up. Sure they could keep driving along for a long time without any fear of falling off the face of a cliff but he had never been the most patient person. He looked Denzel straight in the eye. Mako infused blue meeting frightened childish blue.

"Listen Denzel, this can happen one of two ways. Your first option is to do as I say and let me pull you off Fenrir and onto my spare without you trying to resist. Or if not, I WILL knock you out and drag you off anyway, but trust me you will wake up with a massive headache and an angry screeching Tifa on top of it. It's up to you." Cloud said sternly with a glint in his eye.

Somehow the look in Cloud's eye told Denzel he wasn't lying. Denzel just gulped and gave a slight nod while Cloud sighed. The swordsman reached across and grasped the back of Denzel's shirt tightly.

"On three let go alright? 1…2…3!" Cloud shouted and was glad to see Denzel let go, allowing Cloud to easily bring the boy over and sit him in front of Cloud.

The ex-SOLDIER slid backward to give Denzel more room and wrapped an arm protectively around the boy to keep him still and seated. He applied the brake slowly and pulled away from Fenrir who was losing her balance without a driver and soon fell on her side skidding along the rock. Cloud couldn't help but let out a small wince as he watched his bike get scraped up. The blonde felt Denzel shutter slightly and Cloud allowed his bike come to a complete halt. Cloud gently lowered Denzel to the ground.

"Walk around a few steps, being on the ground will help you break the shock." Cloud said softly and Denzel could only nod in response. The boy walked around and he had to admit being on firm non-moving earth helped him refocus. After he walked back to Cloud and climbed back up to his seat. Cloud gently took off back towards the city.

They remained quiet for the majority of the ride until Cloud broke the silence

"Why did you run off?" The older male asked gently.

Denzel didn't reply right away but Cloud just waited for the boy to take his time. Finally he replied.

"I was really angry. I have been a lot recently. I'm just tired of everyone telling me what to do. I'm sick of being considered a child!" He said angrily.

"Denzel, you are twelve. Unfortunately you still are a child. I know it's frustrating; I had to go through that age as well. But every time you get angry you can't run off, or start a fight." Cloud explained.

"Why not? You always do!" Denzel said viciously. Immediately the boy felt Cloud's muscles tense.

"Denzel, I want you to understand I never left because I was angry. And I don't start fights; they just seem to find me." Cloud explained but was still tense. He wouldn't admit it but Denzel's words had hurt a little bit.

"Then how come you always fight with Reno?" Denzel asked still not fully believing the swordsman.

Cloud snorted. Reno. Of course that would be his example. "That's just how our relationship is. We banter back and forth. Like how you and Marlene fight sometimes but you two aren't actually trying to be mean to each other." Cloud decidedly left out that he and Reno actually do try to be mean to each other most of the time.

"Oh…" Denzel muttered trailing off.

"Just promise me you won't run away again. You could have been seriously injured or worse. And promise to stop fighting at school. And if you keep those two promises, in a couple of years I'll teach you how to drive Fenrir correctly, how about that?" Cloud asked ruffling the boys brown locks.

Denzel's face brightened and he nodded with determination. "I promise."

"Good." Cloud whispered as they drove down into the slums.

Tifa paced around anxiously waiting for the two boys to get back. Luckily Barrett was picking Marlene up from school to day and spending the night with her. The black haired fighter didn't think she would be able to handle Marlene being around when she went off on Denzel. She sighed and sank into a nearby chair waiting for the familiar sound of a motorcycle. She was granted with one only a few minutes later and Tifa raced out to the garage just in time to see Cloud hang up his cell phone.

"Denzel!" Tifa said and the boy braced himself to be scolded but she pulled him into a tight strong hug. The boy relaxed slightly and to his own shock began crying slightly.

"I'm sorry." He cried and wrapped his small arms around his guardian. Cloud just smiled at the two and patted his brown hair again. Tifa pulled away but held him at arm's length.

"Don't EVER do that again okay? Fenrir was glitching and you didn't know it!" Tifa said sternly.

Cloud snorted to himself. 'Oh trust me, he knows now.' Cloud thought to himself, looking to the side.

"I promise Tifa. And I'll be better at school. Sorry I took off after fighting with you." Denzel sincerely apologized. Tifa just looked shocked and glanced at Cloud who just gave her a small nod.

"I'm off to finish my deliveries. Oh, and Cid is joining us for dinner." Cloud said as he got back onto the spare motorcycle and attached the parcels to the bike.

"Why is he coming?" Tifa asked giving him a funny look.

"He's picking Fenrir up and is going to fix it for me. A free dinner from you was his bargain." Cloud said with a slight smirk.

"Tsk, why do you always make bargains where I have to do something?!" She said shaking a fist at him light heartedly.

Cloud just smirked at them before he backed out of the garage. He gave Tifa and Denzel one last protective look over before he took off back through the slums of Midgar. Tifa turned back to Denzel after Cloud disappeared from sight and frowned at the young boys bent head. She crouched in front of him so that she could look up into his face.

"What is it?" Tifa asked concerned.

"I feel really bad about messing up Fenrir. I know Cloud really loves that bike." Denzel said shifting his gaze to the side. Tifa gave him a small smile.

"It will be alright, trust me Cloud has done way worse damage to that bike. One time he had to completely remodel Fenrir after he crashed it into the side of a mountain. It's nothing he or Cid can't handle." She gently reassured him.

"I-it's not just that either. I think I hurt his feelings." He said continuing with renewed tears in his eyes threatening to fall.

"What do you mean?" Tifa asked confused. She hid her concern for Cloud because she knew how he liked to ponder and brood on things.

"I yelled at him and said that he always starts fights and leaves when he's angry, so why couldn't I?" Denzel admitted slightly ashamed.

Tifa sighed. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He glanced up at her with his childish blue eyes.

"Well then we will just have to make sure he knows he is loved when he gets back won't we?" She said smiling. Denzel nodded and then returned the smile.

"Maybe we can even make a sugar pie! It's his favorite even though he tries to hide it!" Denzel exclaimed excitedly as the pair walked back into the bar.

"That sounds like a great idea." Tifa said genuinely happy as she flipped the OPEN sign to CLOSED.

They could survive with one night off.

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The end! I hope you liked it! Please read and review. Have a great day =D

StunningGhost


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